JULY 31, 2010 - St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius Loyola was born to a noble family in Spain in 1491.He had a very good education. He became a soldier of reknown. He was wounded in a battle in Pamplona, Spain and was confined in bed for some months. While sick, he read many books mostly on the life of Christ. and of the saints. He experienced a religious conversion and later, went to the pilgrimage shrine of the Miraculous Black Madonna in Montserrat near Barcelona, Spain. He had an all-night vigil before our Lady of Monserrat, laid down his sword and dagger before Her and promised to be a Knight of Christ. He stayed in Manresa and lived a contemplative life although offered some hours of volunteer work in a hospital. By studying his life especially his prayer life, he wrote a Book of Spiritual Exercises in order to help others follow Jesus Christ more closely and be a genuine child of God.

The Book of Spiritual Exercises written in 1527 as a handbook of four weeks of meditations : first week on sin and its consequences; second week on Christian life on earth; third week on the Passion of Christ and the fourth week on the Risen Life of Christ. It included a number of instructions called Rules to teach one how to pray and how to elect a vocation in life without being swayed by the love of self or of the world. Nowadays, expositions on these Spiritual Exercises are done during retreats or in missions held during Lent.

St. Ignatius Loyola put the Anima Christi, an ancient prayer in the beginning of his Book of Spiritual Exercises. Hence, its authorship was attributed to him for some time. But many writers had proved that Anima Christi was already in print and found in many manuscripts or prayer books of Popes a hundred years before the saint was born. It is possible that St. Ignatius used the ancient prayer because of its association with the Catholic concept of the Holy Eucharist and the Passion of Christ.

By the way, do you know that the Anima Christi is the prayer said
AFTER receiving COMUNION ?

For those who need to refresh their memory, here it is:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me,
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
Oh, Good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds, hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malignant enemy, defend me
At the hour of my death, call me
Bid me come to Thee
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee
Forever and ever. Amen.

On August 15, 1534, St. Ignatius Loyola gathered six young colleagues from the University of Paris, including St. Francis Xavier at the crypt of the Church of St. Denis in Montmarte, Paris. They called themselves, "The Company of Jesus" or "Friends of the Lord" because they felt they were placed together by Christ. They professed vows of poverty, chastity and obedience especially obedience to the Pope. As more members came into the group, they learned by experience how prayer and penance can be combined with teaching and study. The Society of Jesus, as the group later became known , was approved by Pope Paul III on August 15, 1540 and permitted them to be ordained as priests. Their ideal was to strive for the propagation of the faith, do hospital work and do missionary work in Jerusalem. They believe that the only purpose why we live is to love, to serve and to give glory to God!The study and the obedience to Scripture is a priority in the life of a Jesuit.

The Jesuits, today, form the largest single order of priests and brothers in the Catholic Church. Their contribution lie largely in education and in missionary work. They founded schools throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia and the other continents of the world. Education is the principal and distinct ministry of the Society of Jesus. Jesuit schools played an important role in winning back to Catholicism European countries which were predominantly Protestant then such as Poland and Lithuania.

St. Ignatius Loyola died on July 31, 1556 in Rome and was canonized by Pope Gregory XV on May 22, 1620. His body lies under the altar of the Church of Gesu in Rome.

This prayer on GENEROSITY was written by St. Ignatius Loyola:

Teach me, Oh Lord, to be generous

To serve you as you deserve
To give and not to count the cost
To fight and not to heed the wounds
To toil and not to seek for rest
To labor and not to ask for reward
Save that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.